The new streetcar that rides at the pace of the city

June 11, 2018Berlin
Transportation,
Other News

Toronto is the financial and multicultural metropolis of Canada. The daily life of its 6.3 million citizens is punctuated by a series of movements that begins well before the opening or closing of stock markets, or major financial transactions with other continents.

One of these rituals, shared by all major metropolis of the world, is the race against the clock in the traffic jams that dot the commutes between home and work.

In Toronto, regardless of the time of year, time of day, or weather conditions, the BOMBARDIER FLEXITY low-floor streetcars, selected by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) crisscross the winding, sloping streets of the city, carrying a steady stream of passengers.

These colourful red streetcars are custom-built at Bombardier Transportation's Ontario plants in Thunder Bay and Kingston. They were designed to adapt to the different topography of the city and its densely populated neighborhoods, all the while facing the rigors of an icy winter fed by Lake Ontario’s strong winds.

With the passage of time, beyond a sustainable, efficient and comfortable mode of urban transportation, these streetcars have become a true signature of the Queen City. A symbol across Canada, just like the high-reaching CN tower and the Skydome’s retractable roof.

It's hard to believe that making a low-floor streetcar requires more cables than a plane! Indeed, the cables that connect the software, the interfaces, the passenger information screens, the anti-derailment system, and the front and back surveillance cameras span hundreds of kilometres.

This makes this streetcar one of the most sophisticated transit vehicles in Canada.

Toronto Transit Commission's ambition to replace its older streetcars with a model that allows Toronto citizens to easily board and travel in comfort throughout the city is embodied in the new low-floor streetcars, which can easily accommodate children's strollers or mobility-impaired customers, including those with wheelchairs.

Their development and commissioning has been marked by great ingenuity, deep pride and significant economic spinoffs across the country.

This video shows it all.

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Notes to Editors

Bombardier and FLEXITY are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.